The ensemble cast in ‘Straight Outta Compton’ actually labored tirelessly to nail the details of the rappers from NWA they were portraying.

Last year was a year of so many great films and performances. Every person and movie nominated Thursday for an Academy Award absolutely deserved it.

Each year, though, is full of snubs and disappointments for many men and women who fully deserved to be nominated — but just didn't make the cut.

It happens.

However, this year, in the top six categories of best film, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress and best director, not a single African-American was nominated out of the 30 candidates.

I was moved to tears by Michael B. Jordan’s performance in ‘Creed.’

(Barry Wetcher/AP)

It’s really ridiculous.

Hear my heart, I don't think African-Americans should be nominated because they are black — never that. However, when the voters are 94% white, 76% men, and are an average of 63 years old, issues of racism and cultural understanding aren't imaginary, but very real.

While black actors, actresses, directors and producers don't do what they do because they want an Academy Award for it, even receiving the nominations is so important for the success of careers and films. It breathes life into careers. It extends the shelf life of films. It opens up new opportunities for others as the industry takes notice of who is breaking through.

African-Americans in the film industry have long since learned that relying on white validation is a sand trap of sorts — but the Oscars matter.

As an African warlord in “Beasts of No Nation,” Idris Elba took us on the deep twisting journey of what it must be like for a child soldier.

(Netflix)

I thought “Straight Outta Compton” was an amazing film and was one of my favorites of the year.

When I watched the making of it, I saw how meticulous the director, F. Gary Gray, was in recreating the sets and styles from the ’80s and ’90s. The ensemble cast actually labored tirelessly to nail the details of the rappers from NWA they were portraying.

Jason Mitchell, who played Eazy-E in the film, was a star. It was uncanny how much he resembled the rapper and did so with a surprising emotional depth over the course of several huge transitions in Eazy-E's life. The film ended up being the highest grossing biopic of all time.

I loved “Creed” so much that my wife and I saw it twice. I grew up as a huge Rocky fan and I'm elated that Sylvester Stallone got a nomination. He deserved it and I hope he wins. Ryan Coogler, who wrote and directed the film, deserved a nomination for one or both categories. The movie was, in essence, Rocky 7, and everybody who saw it loved it.

A supporting actor nomination was in order for Chiwetel Ejiofor in ‘The Martian.’

(Peter Mountain/AP)

Do you know how hard that is?

That Stallone is the only person with a nomination in the film tells me its emotional weight just didn't resonate with the Academy. While I loved Stallone, I was moved to tears by Michael B. Jordan and the pain he fought through of not having a father.

The romance between him and Tessa Thompson is what brought me back to watch it twice. For African-Americans, the nuances Coogler wrote into their romance felt deeply familiar, but how could they do so for the 94% white academy?

As an African warlord in “Beasts of No Nation,” Idris Elba took us on the deep twisting journey of what it must be like for a child soldier. He somehow found a way, at times, to make us feel for him, believe in him and his potential, and was able to make subtle shifts which caused us to utterly despise him. When I first started watching the film, I didn't expect to like it. While it was heavy as hell, the depth and rawness were unlike anything I've ever seen before.

“The Martian” was one of my favorite films of the year. Matt Damon was in the role of a lifetime. He and the film deserve every bit of credit, but I loved every single second that Chiwetel Ejiofor was on screen. Playing the role of a NASA executive who first believed Damon's character was still alive on Mars, Ejiofor had brilliant moments of humor, pain and conflict which helped the audience not only connect with Damon, but also with the struggle back on earth for NASA. A supporting actor nomination was in order.

I could go on and on with this. I have zero interest in black folks getting nominations where they aren't deserved, but that's not the argument here. It's just lame and suspicious that black folks were shut out of so many categories.